Four tips to lower burnout, injuries, and dropout rates in youth sports.
When BYU biomechanics professor Matthew K. Seeley watched his kids lace up their soccer cleats for their first youth soccer games, he felt a familiar mix of pride and concern. As a father, he hoped they’d learn teamwork, confidence, and work ethic. As a scientist, he knew what they were up against: burnout, injuries, and early dropout rates. “Sports can build character, or characters, depending on how you do it,” Seeley says, quoting his father.
“My wife was a collegiate gymnast, which required her to train for many hours each day for many years,” Seeley says. “I grew up playing whatever sport was in season. I don’t recall missing family dinners for practice, while my wife missed many family dinners.”
Those contrasting experiences—along with his concern as his own children participate in sports—sparked the creation of the Strong Youth Project, a BYU-based initiative to confront what he calls a “youth-sport culture crisis”: kids specializing too early, parents chasing scholarships at any cost, and coaches pushing year-round schedules.
“Three-quarters of kids drop out of sports by age 12 or 13,” Seeley says. “That’s tragic, because those kids lose not just the physical fitness, but confidence, friendship, and resilience.”
Through the Strong Youth Project, Seeley’s goal is simple but ambitious: keep more kids playing the sports they love while helping parents, coaches, and communities make sports a lifelong source of health and development rather than stress and burnout.
From his experience working with young athletes, Seeley shares four tips for parents to help their children enjoy sports, build friendships, and form healthy habits.
1. Keep it fun, and keep friends close. “Two of the biggest reasons kids play sports are simple,” Seeley says. “They want to be with their friends, and they want to have fun.” Parents who focus too much on winning or advancement risk losing those two primary motivations. “If you’re not checking those boxes, the data suggest that your kids are less likely to stay in sports.”
2. Wait to specialize. Seeley warns against having children focus on one sport year-round. “Specialization increases in-jury risk and burnout, and it doesn’t improve performance,” he says. Parents should encourage their children to participate in multiple sports, which builds stronger, more resilient athletes and helps keep their experiences fresh.
3. Choose coaches who build character, not just teams. Seeley encourages parents to seek mentors, trainers, and coaches who lead with kindness and respect and help children build confidence and friendships. “A coach can be the x-factor,” Seeley says. “I believe that it doesn’t matter if your team is 12–0 or 0–12; good coaches make sports fun and meaningful.”
4. Play the long game. Only 1 percent of youth athletes continue to play beyond high school, Seeley reminds parents. “That means 99 percent are going to use what they learn from their sports as moms, dads, teachers, and neighbors.” Seeley hopes parents will help kids see their worth beyond the scoreboard. “Competing to win is important, but the big W is their worth as a child of God, and that doesn’t depend on their performance.”
